Executive Summary
The Cedar Riverside Partnership is a public private partnership committed to investing in the sustainable growth and development of the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis.
We work collaboratively to identify and mobilize long-term, strategic investments to promote a vibrant Cedar Riverside neighborhood as a safe and healthy place to live, learn, work, and play. We focus on initiatives that have identifiable support through neighborhood and community planning including safety, transit and transportation infrastructure, economic development, and youth.
Our Partnership presently includes Augsburg University, African Development Center, Cedar Riverside Neighborhood Revitalization Program, Fairview Health Services, Hennepin County, City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Pillsbury United Communities, Sherman Associates, St. Catherine University, University of Minnesota, West Bank Business Association, and West Bank Community Coalition.
2017 saw the launch of the highly anticipated Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center, a one-stop shop for educational and workforce resources and a pipeline to good jobs for people of all ages through the committed presence of public and private sector employers. Since the opening of the Opportunity Center on March 12, the site has hosted multiple employer job fairs, workforce trainings for adults, and higher education engagement with youth.
In 2017, the Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center provided services to 862 individuals. 470 youth and adults were placed in jobs, more than doubling the goal of placing 150 individuals in jobs in 2017. After 90 days, the retention rate for those placed in jobs was 79%. The Center assisted 40 participants begin short-term training programs and by December, 35 completed those programs. Five participants enrolled in a GED program and 132 enrolled in college.
Augsburg University hosted another successful Scrubs Camp in 2017, with 71 students in attendance, 66% of whom received scholarships to attend. 60% of participants were youth of color, 46% were from low-income households, and 19% will be the first in their family to attend college.
2018 will be a year focused on securing funds for the continued successful operation of the Opportunity Center and deeper engagement with employer, educator, and community partners in connecting youth and adults to the Opportunity Center’s services.
Jobs & Youth
The Partnership has long focused on youth engagement and job connections for residents of the Cedar Riverside community. It has focused these efforts through specific initiatives and partnerships to connect residents to education and career opportunities.
Opportunity Center
The Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center opened in March 2017 with the goal of reducing unemployment and increasing higher educational attainment and enrollment within the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. The Center serves as a one-stop shop for educational and workforce resources and a pipeline to good jobs for people of all ages through the committed presence of public and private sector employers.
In September 2016 the Cedar Riverside Partnership succeeded in raising $950,000 in capital funds for the construction of the Center.
Funders Pohlad Family Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Otto Bremer Trust, Minneapolis Foundation, Pat and Tom Grossman Fund of the Minnesota Community Foundation, Mortenson Foundation, Hennepin County, and the City of Minneapolis joined to support the key goals of reducing the neighborhood’s unemployment rate and increasing access to educational programs.
Partners will continue to expand and fundraise for the Opportunity Center in 2018.
Scrubs Camp: A Vision of College and Health Career Pathways
Scrubs Camps, held annually each summer at Augsburg University, introduces high school students to a vision of college and health care careers.
The majority of participants are low-income students of color.
In 2017, partners Fairview, St. Kate’s, Augsburg, Sherman Associates, and the University of Minnesota were actively involved in supporting the camp.
The immersive camp includes a week of hands-on sessions with professionals on a college campus.
After the camp, 93% of participants said that the camp helped them focus their future career goals and 83% said that spending time on a college campus helped them to visualize themselves at college.
92% said that Scrubs Camp made them think more seriously about going to college and 97% responded that after attending the camp they could see themselves in the health care industry.
Youth Collaborative
Partners supported the Youth Collaborative by providing funds to enable the collaborative to hire a professional youth worker in the community to identify issues and action steps. The individual hired will work to re-invigorate youth connections in the community in 2018.
Safety
National Night Out
Partners supported another successful national night out at Riverside Plaza. The Cedar Riverside Safety Center led the event, offering balloons, face painting, ice cream, yard games, and prizes. The Minneapolis Fire Department and Minneapolis Police Department met community members throughout the day.
Community Impact Statement
After a violent crime was committed in the Cedar Riverside Neighborhood in early 2017, the Partnership sought to provide a statement reflecting the impact the crime had on the community as a whole. The Partnership followed the legal proceedings and submitted a Community Impact Statement to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office reflecting the Partnership’s fundamental goal of ensuring safety within the Cedar Riverside Community.